Work begins on Sunridge fire station

A new fire station in Sunridge will be more than a place to park fire engines, East Fork Fire & Paramedics Chief Tod Carlini said Thursday.

"Our fire stations are also public buildings for people to use," he said to about 50 people attending a groundbreaking at Sunridge. "We hope people will get their value out of it."

The new station is located on a 3.25-acre site off North Sunridge Drive. Carlini said the location was obtained from the Bureau of Land Management for $25.

The 10,683-square-foot station will house both firefighters and paramedics as well as a library kiosk and a community meeting room.

Carlini said it will serve as a regional firefighting center.

The bid for the fire station came in at 8 percent under budget, according to Carlini. The station will cost about $2.282 million to build and was paid for with the help of a 1-cent three-year tax, which has since been retired.

Contractor Bison Construction of Carson City has 314 calendar days to complete the building, which is expected to be done in February 2008.

"It will be July before we see anything going up," Carlini said. "There's a lot of earthwork to do."

Douglas County Commission Chairman Doug Johnson thanked everyone for their work.

Commissioner Kelly Kite was recognized as the sole remaining board member who voted for to build the fire station five years ago said the project was a long time coming.

County Manager Dan Holler said work on the station began in 1998-99 with the recognition that the fire services would have to be expanded to deal with north county development.

"We see the sagebrush now that will someday have buildings on it," Holler said.

Holler said the station will be organized along lines similar to those in the Gardnerville Ranchos and Topaz Ranch Estates where career and volunteer firefighters work together.

The fire station will be designated Station 12.